Abstract
ObjectivesTo investigate the contribution of school neighborhood socioeconomic advantage to the association between school-district physical education policy compliance in California public schools and Latino students’ physical fitness.MethodsCross-sectional Fitnessgram data for public-school students were linked with school- and district-level information, district-level physical education policy compliance from 2004–2005 and 2005–2006, and 2000 United States Census data. Multilevel logistic regression models examined whether income and education levels in school neighborhoods moderated the effects of district-level physical education policy compliance on Latino fifth-graders’ fitness levels.ResultsPhysical education compliance data were available for 48 California school districts, which included 64,073 Latino fifth-graders. Fewer than half (23, or 46%) of these districts were found to be in compliance, and only 16% of Latino fifth-graders attended schools in compliant districts. Overall, there was a positive association between district compliance with physical education policy and fitness (OR, 95%CI: 1.38, 1.07, 1.78) adjusted for covariates. There was no significant interaction between school neighborhood socioeconomic advantage and physical education policy compliance (p>.05): there was a positive pattern in the association between school district compliance with physical education policy and student fitness levels across levels of socioeconomic advantage, though the association was not always significant.ConclusionsAcross neighborhoods with varying levels of socioeconomic advantage, increasing physical education policy compliance in elementary schools may be an effective strategy for improving fitness among Latino children.
Highlights
For nearly two decades, there has been strong interest in environmental and policy interventions that promote healthy eating, physical activity and healthy weight, in school settings[1,2,3,4]
Physical education compliance data were available for 48 California school districts, which included 64,073 Latino fifth-graders
There was no significant interaction between school neighborhood socioeconomic advantage and physical education policy compliance (p>.05): there was a positive pattern in the association between school district compliance with physical education policy and student
Summary
There has been strong interest in environmental and policy interventions that promote healthy eating, physical activity and healthy weight, in school settings[1,2,3,4]. Latino children have the highest prevalence of obesity [16] These children are more likely to have limited venues for physical activity [17,18] and to attend schools in neighborhoods with fewer socioeconomic resources. Schools located in socioeconomically advantaged neighborhoods may have resources to offer students more diverse programs, increasing opportunities for regular physical activity and improved fitness. These prior studies raise the possibility that schoolbased physical education policies may play an important role in promoting physical fitness among Latino children, those who attend schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Data from the California Physical Fitness Test (the ‘Fitnessgram’) are available for public school students in California through the CDE and can be linked with district-level data on compliance with state PE policy
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